Workin' Hard, Hardly Workin'

I think maybe I've sent one too many emails with Sarah in my lap.....

Happy Days

I probably sound like a broken record, but I just can't say enough good things about Liam's preschool. It's such a happy, kid-friendly place with interesting details everywhere you look. It's hard not to feel inspired in a place that is the product of so many young imaginations - and very little Fisher Price influence!
They leave the playground open for the families to use over Spring Break, so we headed out there for a play this afternoon. I took my camera hoping to catch some of the fun, and a few of the little details that I think make this such a special place for little ones. Even in the rain. Hope you enjoy the tour!


Sarah always heads straight for the little red barn. So far, she doesn't have to duck to get inside, but all the other kids do. There are two little yellow chairs inside and on particularly nippy days she will stay inside to keep out of the wind. She's also been known to treat this space as her own personal outhouse. That happened to be the case today. That, and giggles, as the saying goes....

Side note: potty training is not going as well as earlier predicted. She's still in diapers, so this wasn't as bad as it sounds!
We had some company from the tree creatures...

There was no shortage of puddles to splash in today!

And this rain barrel has yet to run dry!

Aside from the mega sandbox, Liam likes this "ship" best. When all the kids are playing together there is an awful lot of talk about icebergs on deck!

We found a piece of sidewalk chalk and Liam got to work:

Completely unprompted, he turned a section of path into the Yellow Brick Road.

Little bits of "jewelry" are embedded in the pathways at random intervals...


Proof that spring is getting underway....


A classic "deer in the headlights" look from Liam:

Sarah loves to "hide":

Raindrops are very interesting if you take a minute to check them out!

There are woodpeckers all over the place...

And of course, somewhere quiet to relax...


...until it's time to get back to all the "work" of being a kid. And they do take it seriously!

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter....

....is back on the water!
Matt took the kids and Mojo for a paddle at Buntzen Lake yesterday. By himself. With a head cold and a tweaked neck. I thought he was bananas to attempt it, but all went smoothly. After all, the kids are seasoned canoe-ers by now! Sarah is especially at ease on the water. Have a look!

Bored x 2

We were baking cookies. The kids were waiting for their stirring role....

Ready to Spring

Watercolour paintings? Check.
Tulips? Check.
Unidentified greenery planted by chubby little fingers in a tin can? Check.
We're ready for spring in here...now it's time to take it outside!

Picnic in Park

We were pretty excited this weekend when the first official day of spring rolled around. We're ready. Ready for warmer days. Ready for fresh air. Ready for taking our play outside. So the kids and I turned a blind eye to the rainclouds outside and went ahead with our plans for a First Monday of Spring Picnic. But the joke was on us. By the time we got to our destination, the skies had opened up and the realization that our stubborn "blast the weather" attitude was going to make for extra soggy sandwiches set in. So we had our picnic. In park. Instead of in the park.

Liam 1:1

We were putting laundry away this morning, when out of the blue Liam said "Mom, do you want me to tell you about the Bible?" I discretely jotted down his version behind a tea towel disguise. Sunday School is definitely paying off.....

Jake got in his car and droove {sic} out to the mountains. There were elephants there. And God said "Rainbows for everyone!!!!" And then they got married. And see this guy? He's pretendin' to be Batman.

There you have it. The NEW New Testament.

Heck?!

Sarah has been picking up words at great speed now. Most of them still require a little interpretation from Mom and Dad, but as long as we know what she's talking about she isn't too phased.
A few of our favorites are....

HECK?! = As in, "What the heck?!", but she can't say "What the" quite yet. She says HECK?! with such enthusiasm, it is the absolute best.

Nake = Snake. She pretends to be one, arms flailing all over the place. Ask her what a snake says. She'll tell you "Baaa." We're thinking a trip to the reptile zoo may be in order.

Not = Snot. I don't like that word, but she learned that one this week. There's been a lot of exposure, if you know what I mean.

Gob Dop = Gobstopper. The promise of one is how we bribe her to stay in her bed in the morning. The alternative? She'll tiptoe out of her room only to fling Liam's door open at 6am and shout "UP!" The bribe works. Don't judge.

Chi-Chip = Ketchup.

Chi-Chin = Chicken.

Chick-Chin = Kitchen. These last three can get very confusing!

Gape = Grape.

Baa-Bop = Apple

Yeah-Yum = Liam.

Mo-Mo = Mojo.

Mmmmmm? = Soother. Sarah was getting cranky in the car recently, and Liam said "Sarah, do you want your mmmmm?" He speaks Sarah-ese quite fluently, when need be.

Looks like Sarah needs a Na-Nap (napkin) here!

A Temporary Peace

Seems like the only time these two ever sit together without my constant "HANDS. TO. YOUR. SELF!" admonishments is when they are sick. And that they are. Again. The sibling snuggles are nice but only a healthy bicker will signal that they are truly on the mend.
Are you listening, Cold and Flu Season? We are so over you.

Come A Look A See

Guaranteed smiles here....

The Swimsuit Edition

Sarah's plans to join Matt and Sarah in the pool tonight were foiled when she woke from her nap with a fever. I thought she understood that she was staying home with me, but when I got Liam dressed in his swim trunks I couldn't resist trying on her new strawberry swimsuit too. She loved it and ran downstairs to Matt's office to model it. And then.....she put on her boots....grabbed her "purse," said goodbye to me and started heading out the door. It's 3 degrees outside. When the boys left without her and the reality of her housebound status sunk in she was pretty upset....so the two of us brought the pool party to the bathtub!
First, she did a little modeling....


It was her idea to get a shot of the back. I didn't know what she was saying (sounded like "Gack! Gack!") and then she pointed at the camera and turned around. So there you go....


Looking FIERCE!

When I was snapping these photos I said "Smile Sarah!" And she never does. But this particular time she froze, made a few strange movements with her mouth and then....this! Her first "posed" smile. Maybe I'll stop forcing it.... :)

It's Never Too Early...

...for a campfire! The mercury hit 8 degrees today and it was (gasp!) dry all day. So it was the perfect day to meet up with friends and start firepit season! We dined on roasted hot dogs and super sticky s'mores then hit the park and the beach.
This slide is exactly as steep as it looks...


Liam's cheeks are being blown back by the g-forces!


Sarah is monkeying around...


Three year old boys (and Sarah) do not pause water activities for a group shot! Here's the best we could get...

I Don't Know What To Say About This Photo...

...But I think it would make for a good caption contest!


We held an impromptu cookie baking session recently, and this photo was taken while the kids were (very anxiously) waiting for a cookie fresh from the oven.
Mmmm.....

I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts

There they are all standing in a row....

If you don't know that song....never mind! I'm sure it's obvious this is the kids eating a coconut. :)
Their verdict? Meh. Fun to crack open. Not easy enough to eat!